Accounting machine



R. L. MULLER May 6, 1930.

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 PT L, WLZMWINVENTOR' QQW 4 2461 ATTORNEYS May 6, 1930. R. L. MULLER ACQOUNTINGMACHINE Filed July 23, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M, W ATTORNEYS May 6, 1930.

R. L. MULLER 1,757,134

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig; i a

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS R. L. MULLER May 6, 1930-.

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR barf/v.Wuiier dizzy/4a ATTORNEV5 Vii mm -Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE ROBERT L. MULLER, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TOBURROUGHS ADDING MA- CHINE COMPANY, OF DETROIT MICHIGAN, A CORPORATIONOF MICHIGAN ACCOUNTING MACHINE 7 Application filed July 23,

This invention relates to an accounting machine of the type having atraveling paper carriage that is tabulated from one columnar position toanother, and the invention is directed particularly to an improvedmechanism for automatically cushioning the shock of stopping the papercarriage in its various columnar positions.

The paper carriages of accounting machines are usually urged in onedirection by a spring motor and released to move under the influence ofthis motor by a tabulating mechanism which is actuating during the laterpart of a stroke of operation of the machine. The carriage is thusreleased from one columnar position when the work in that column isfinished. and it moves to thehnext position where it is stopped inposition for the next operation.

After the carriage has reached the limit of its travel in one direction,it is automatically returned in a-Burroughs machine by a motor-drivenmechanism disclosed in Rinsche Patent No. 1,580,534, April 13, 1926.

The carriages are relatively heavy and they gain considerable momentumin movingfrom one columnar position to another. If stopped suddenly, theshock is detrimental to the machine and it also causes an unpleasantnoise. In order to avoid this, a cushioning mech anism has been providedsuch as shown in Rinsche Patent No. 1,516,685, November 25,

1924, which will absorb the shock of stopping the carriage when it istabulated the distance of one column. However, the machine is oftencalled upon to perform work that-involves having the carriage skipseveral columns in being tabulated. When this occurs the carriage gainsspeed and momentum and the normal cushioning means will not proper- 1yabsorb the shotk of stopping it.

If the cushioning means is adjusted to a'bsorb the shock properly whenthe carriage skips several columns, it is too strong when the carriagemoves only from column to column. Heretofore, an extra governor has beenemployed for controlling the speed of the carriage when it skips severalcolumns, but this governor increases the cost ofthe machine andcomplicates the equipment. Upon elimi- 1928. Serial No. 294,637.

nating the governor, however, the carriage travels too fast and gainstoo much momentum to enable the cushioning means to properly controlthe'impact of the blow. If the spring motor is weakened to out down thespeed of thecarriage, a satisfactory-operation can be obtained whenth'e'carriage is skipping one or more columns, but when the carriage ismoving from column to column only and when the movement involves-theoperation by the carriage of the control levers at the rear, the springmotor does not have sulficient strength to overcome the load required tooperate the control levers.

The present invention has been devised to overcome these difficultiesand it accomplishes the result by automatically varying the cushioningeffect of the cushioning means in accordance with the distance throughwhich the carriage is moved.

The object of the invention is to provide animproved cushioning meansfor the carriages of accounting machines and the like.

A more particular'object is to provide an improved cushioning meanswhose action will be automatically varied in accordance with thedistance through which the carriage is tabulated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thespecification and drawings. 4

- An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawingsin which,'-.

.Figure 1 is a partial right side elevation of the rear portion of aBurroughs accounting machine showing-the invention applied thereto, theparts being in normal position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cushioning mechanism and itscontrols, the parts being shown in the position they occupy when thecarriage is moving while skipping one or more columns;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the tabulating mechanism showing thecarriage stops;

Fig. 4 is a partial elevation of the carriage tabulating mechanism andthe cushioning means, the view beingtawn the inside of the machine andshowing one of the carriage stops contacting the stop plate which Kpositions;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the dash pot associated with thecushioning means, some of thecontrols for the dash 'pot also beingillustrated;

Fig. 6 is .a rear elevation of the machine showing another form ofcon-trolling mech anism for the cushioningmeans, the back plate beingcut away to illustrate the cushioning means, and the carriage beingshown while moving during skipping one or more columns and V Fig. 7 isan end elevation of the cushioning means showing how it is controlled bythe mechanism illustrated in Fig. 6.

The invention is shown applied to a Bur-- roughs accounting machine, thegeneral features of which are well known in the art so that adescription of them is unnecssary in the present application.- It willbe understood, of course, that tlieinvention may also be used withaccounting machines of other makes.

The machine is driven by an electric motor 10 that gives the machine astroke of operation when a link 11 is raised, the link operating aclutch and starting switch enclosed in the housing 12. The link 11 israised by depressing a. starting bar 13 that is connected to two pivotedlevers 14 and 15, which are also pivoted together, so that when the baris de pressed the lever 14 is rocked clockwise and the lever 15counterclockwise. A spring 16 connected between the levers acts to urgethem toward normal position and to restore the starting bar after it hasbeen depressed. The lever 15 has a pin and slot connection with the endof link 11 and it is also connected to the link by a spring 17 so that,

when the motor starting bar 13 is depressed, the link 11 is yieldinglyraised to cause the motor to give the machine a stroke of operation.After the link is raised, it is releasably 4 held in position a scissorslatch 18 engag- 45 ing a stud 19 on the link. As the machine starts tooperate, a well-known full stroke sector 20, pivoted at 21, is rockedcounter-clockwise, whereupon a stud 22 on the sector ongages a lateralprojection 23 on the link'll and moves the link downward to disconnectthe motor and stop it at the end of the forward stroke of the machine,the machine then being returned to normal by springs 2 1. De-

pression of the starting bar thus normally causes the machine to beoperated once, that 18, to be given a forward and a return stroke ofoperation.

The traveling paper carriage, which will be designated generally as C,is mounted at v the rear of the machine to move on a track 25 supportedby a back panel 26 carried by the frame 27 of the machine. The carriageis normally urged to the left, as viewed from the front of the machineby a spring drum, not shown, but which is illustrated in nuited slidingmovement on the stud" 34 illustrated in Fig. 41. hen the carriage is inone of its columnar positions the stop'31 corresponding to that positioncontact-s the-shoulder 32 and the slide 33 occupies thc Fig. 1 position,in which position the parts remain until the tabulating mechanism ismanipulated to release the carriage. Thecarriage is released by rockingthe shaft 30 so as to raise the stop .31 above the shoulder .32. Thecarriage then moves to the left as viewed in Fig. 4 under the influenceofits spring until the next stop 31 contacts the shoulder 32 whereuponthe carriage is arrested in its next columnar position.

The shaft 30 is rocked near the end of the return stroke of operation ofthe machine by a pawl 35 (Fig. 4), pivoted on a slide 36 and urgedclockwise by a spring 37. The slide 36 carries a lateral stud 38 overwhich engages the bifurcated end of a lever 39 pivoted at 4.0 (Fig. 1),the other end of the lever having a stud 41 operating in a cam slot 42in a plate 13 fixed to the shaft 424:. As the motor gives the machine astroke of operation, the shaft 44 is rocked clockwise and then returnedcounterclockwise. During the forward or clockwise stroke the lever 39 isrocked clockwise which pulls the slide 36 down,

carriage moves to the left, the stop 31 is free i from the pawl 35whereupon the rock shaft 30 moves back to normal and the next orsucceeding stop 31 is positioned so that, as the carriage approaches itsnext columnar position, the stop engages the side edge of the pawl 35a11d the shoulder 32 of the slide plate 33 and moves the parts to theFig. 4 position where the carriage is arrested.

The cushioning means includes a dash pot having a cylinder 50 in whichoperates a piston 51, a vent 52 being provided in the bottom of thecylinder to permit air to slowly escape when the piston moves from leftto right as viewed in Fig. 4. The piston is connected ing the piston 51to the left or toward the outer end of the cylinder 50. Accordingly,when the next stop 31 strikes the shoulder 32 of the slide 33, the slidemoves to the left and rocks the lever 54 clockwise against the tensionof spring 56, thereby causing the piston 51 to move the right or towardthe bottom of the dash, pot cylinder 50. The re stricted orifice throughwhich the air must pass as the cylinder moves toward the bottom of thedash pot gives a cushioning action which, together with the tension ofspring 56, serves to absorb the shock of stopping the carriage.

The tabulating mechanism is operated to cause the carriageto skipseveral columns by depressing a special bar 60 called the skip tab bar.This bar overlies the starting bar 13 so that when the skip tab bar isdepressed, the starting bar 13 is also depressed and the motor is causedto give the machine a stroke of operation. The bar 60 has a stem 61slidably mounted on the frame of the machine,the stem being providedwith a projection 62 carrying a stud that'engages in :the bifurcated endof a pivoted arm 63 having a rearward extension 64 that controls thetabulating mechanism to cause the carriage to skip one or more columnsas described 1n Rmsche Patent No. 1,580.534. The bar 60 1s normallyurged toward its undepressed position by a spring 65 connected to thelever 63. The stem 61 is also connected to the motor controllingconnections by a pawl 66-pivoted on the stem 61 and provided with abifurcated end engaging'over a stud 67 on the end of lever 14. The tailof this pawl can pass either above or down along one side of an abutment68 and the stem 61 has a stud 69 for engaging the pawl. This provides aninterlocking connection between the starting bar .13 and the skip tabbar 60 which prevents either bar being depressed when the other isdepressed. It also prevents the starting bar 13 from being returned tonormal unless the skiptatf bar is also returned to normal.- By'means of.

tl1e'conntctions described, when the skip tab bar 60 is depressed, themachine is given a stroke of operation and the tabulating mechanisin isconditioned so that the carriage skips a predetermined number of columnsas it moves from right to left.

The cushioning meansf is automatically controlled as an incident to themovement of the carriage as it skips one or more columns.

The means for varying the action of the cush ioning means may beconditioned either by the skip tab mechanism or by the carriage itself,both forms being illustrated: -::Th e

connectionscontrolled by the skip tab mechanism will he described first.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the stem 61 of the skiptab bar 60 has astud 70 positioned to engage the outer end of one arrn719f a bell crank leverv pivoted at 72T The-othe1' arm 7 3 of this leverhas a lateral lug 74 engaging the endof an arm 75 pivoted at 76 andurged counter-clockwise, as viewed i 11"Fig, 1. by a spring 77. The arm75 carries atlat headed stud or valve 78 (Fig. 4) which moves overthebottom of the cylinder 50 and, when the arm 76 is properlypositioned, this stud partially-closes the opening 52 in the bottom ofthe cylinder so as to greatlyretard the exit of air therethrough. Itwill be evident that, when the skip tab bar 60 is depressed. the arm 75is moved clockwise' from its Fig; 1 positionto a position such that thevalve 78 partially closes the opening 52 in the bottom of the cylinder50.

It means were not provided to prevent it, the .skip tab bar 60 wouldnormally be released to return to its undepressed position along withthe motor bar 13 near the end of the forward stroke of the machine. Itwill be understood that the carriage is not tabulated until the latterpartof the return stroke of the machine. It will be clear that, if theskip tab bar should be released prior to the carriage tabulation, thearm 75 would move back to normal underthe influence of its spring 77 andthe cushioning means would be restored to its normal condition beforeitcould' act to cushion the extra movement of the carriage. In order toprevent this, means is provided for maintaining the cushioning.

means in the condition in which it is placed by depression of the skiptab bar.

\Vhen the skip tab. bar 60 is depressed, the lever 15 is rockedcounter-clockwise through the connections 666714 which raises the link11 to a position where it is held by the scissors latch 18. The initialholding of the cushioning mechanism in its set posi-.

tion is thus obtained by the action of the scissors latchwhich holds theskip tab bar depressed, said bar holding the cushioning latch 80. Assoon as the machine starts to operate the rock arm 85 moves away "fromlug 86 whereupon the spring 82 snaps the shoul- 7 der 83 of latch 80under the stud 84 and the lever 15 is latched in position. The holdingof the lever 15 in its moved position does not prevent the link 11 frombeing moved downward by the stud 22 on the full stroke sector 20 at theend of the forward stroke because of the pin and slot connection betweenthe upper end of the link and the lever 15. When the link is moved downone of the arms of the scissors latch 18 moves above the stud 19 andpre-.

vents return of the link, The link can be released only bydownward orclockwise movement of the lever 15 which causes stud 84 to engage a tailpiece on the arm of the scissors latch and move said arm out of the pathof stud 19. From the above it will be noted that as soon as the machinestarts to operate the cushioning means is latched in its set conditionby the latch 80 which holds the lever 15 in its moved position, saidlever acting to latch the cushioning means through connections1467-6661707173. This latch acts to hold the parts in position after thelink 11 is moved downward from control by the scissors latch 18. Eventhough the action of latch 80 takes place through the lever 15associated with the motor bar 13, the motor controlling connectionsoperate in the normal manner to release the power drive at the end ofthe forward stroke so that the machine will be operated only once.

It is necessary, however, to eventually release the lever 15 and itsassociated parts so that they may be in condition for the next operationof the machine. This release is ac complished near the end of the returnstroke ofthe machine by the rock arm 85 which strikes the lug 86 onlatch 80 and moves the latch to release lever 15. The lever thereuponmoves clockwise to its normal position under the influence of its spring16. This releases both the motor bar 13 and the tab bar 60 for movementto normal.

It is not desirable, however, to release the arm 75 associated with thecushioning means at the same instant that the skip tab bar is releasedbecause the carriage moves 'during the latter part of the return strokeof-the machine and it is desirable to have the cushskip ioning meansproperly conditioned until the carriagehas completely reached its newcolumnar position. means is accordingly provided comprising a latch inthe form of a bell crank lever illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. ,One arm 90of this latch has a notch 91 in it (Fig. 5) for engaging over a tailpiece 92 on the arm 7 5. The

other arm 93 of the latch has a lateral lug 94 An additional latchingumnar position it occupies at the start of theoperation of the machine,that is, with the car riage stop 31 against the shoulder 32 on the slideplate 33, the latch is held disabled by the lever 54 which contacts thelug 94 on the arm 93 and holds the arm 90 out of the path of the tail 92of the arm 75. However, when the slide 33 is freed of the stop 31 by theoperation of the tabulating mechanism during the latter part of thereturn stroke of the machine, the lever 54 is moved counterclockwise byits spring 56 which frees the latch 9093, whereupon the spring 95 snapsit counterclockwise and the notch -91 moves over the tail 92 to lock thearm 75 in position.

As the next carriage stop 31 strikes the shoulder 32 on the slide plate33, the lever '54 is moved clockwise against the tension of spring 56and the piston 51 is forced into the cylinder 50 but, on account of thefact that the valve 78 partially closes the vent 52, movement of thepiston is retarded'more than usual and the cushioning action of thecushioning means is greatly increased to absorb the greater impactcaused by the carriage skipping one ormore columns before coming torest. As the carriage reaches its final position for the column to whichit is being moved, the piston moves to the bottom of the cylinder, andthe lever 54 contacts the lug 94 on the latch 9093 and moves the latchclockwise to release the arm 7 5 which is thereupon moved back to normalposition by its spring 77.

The various parts above described are timed to operate as follows: whenthe skip tab bar is depressed, the arm 15 is moved to ofthe returnstroke of themachine the tab ulating mechanism is operated and the lever54 is freed to be moved counterclockwise by its spring 56. This freesthe latch 9093 which is thereupon moved by its spring 95 to hold the arm75 against movement. Immediately thereafter the member 85 strikes thelip 86 of the latch 80 and moves it to a position to release the arm 15so that the starting bar and the skip tab bar can move back to normal.After the carriage is stopped inits new columnar position, that is, whenthe piston reaches the bottom of the dash pot, the latch 90 is releasedand the arm 75 moves back to normal.

In this manner the cushioning action of the cushioning means isincreased automatically when the carriage skips one or more columns inbeing tabulated, the means. for increasing said cushioning action-beingcontrolled by the mechanism used for moving the carriage and by themovement of the carria'ge itself.

The conditioning of the cushioning means may be controlled in othersimilar ways, one of which is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7., The meansfor varying the cushioning efiect is conditioned in the form shown inFigs. (Sand 7 by movement of the carriage itselt.

In this form, the carriage" is provided with a roller 100 adapted toengage an arm 101 of a yoke pivoted at 103 and provided with another arm104 having a pin and slot connection with a bell crank lever 105'pivoted at- 106 and provided with a lateral lugl07-,-means-fercushioning-the shock of stopping illustrated most clearlyin Fig. 7, which engages the tail 92 of the arm 75. The roller 100 ispositioned so that, after the carriage is released and as it movesduring its tabulation while skipping one or more columns, and a prior tothe time it reaches its final posit on in the column that it is tooccupy, the roller 100 engages the arm 101"and rocks the yoke 102clockwise which, in turn, rocks the bell crank lever 105counterclockwise and moves the arm 7 5 to cause the VEl-h' 78 topartially close the vent 52 in the cylinder 50."-It-will V be recalledthat, when the carriage is released,

the lever 54 is moved by its spring 56 the movementbeing clockwise as.viewed 1n Fig.

6. This releases the latch 90 -93 which is then urged toward latchingposition by its spring 95 and, as soon as the bell crank lever 104 movesthe arm 75 clockwise, the latch. snaps into positioniohold the arm 7541itheposition to which it has been moved. The

. latch is released in the same manner as previously described. Thecushioning means is thus automatically conditioned by the carriageitself justpriorto the time the carriage reaches the place where theincreased cushioning effect is necessary. One or more rollers 100 may beemployed depending upon how many times the carriage is tabulated pastone or more columnar positions during its movement from one'limit to theother.

The bell crank lever 105 also has a projection. 108 engaging a lever 109operating an automatic repeat print mechanism described in Muller PatentN 0. 1,397,774. The one series of controls may thus be used to operatetwo mechanisms. 'i l It is to be understood that the structure shown isfor purposes of illustration only and that variations may be made in itwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedby the claims.

Iclaimu 1. The combination in a machine of the "closing'said vent. 7 y 73. The combination in a machine of the' class described, of a travelingpaper carriage,

mechanism for tabulating said carriage from means for cushioning theshock of stopping the carriage in the columnar positions to which it ismoved,"means operated automatically as an incident in the movement ofthe carriageto predetermined columnar positions for increasing thecushioning efiect of the cushioning means, a latch for holding saidautomatic increasing means in the position to which it is moved, andconnections operated by the carriage as it reaches its final position inthe column to which it is being moved for releasing the latch.

2. The combination in a machine of the class described, of a travelingpaper carriage, mechanism for tabulating the carriage from .one columnarposition to another, cushioning eluding a dash pot having a vent, andmeans set automatically by the carriage as it moves to certain columnarpositions for partially class described, of a traveling paper; carriage,mechanism for tabul'ating the carriage from one columnar position toanother, cushioning means for cushioning the shock of stopping which itis'movetl, said cushioning means ineluding a dash pot having a vent,means operated automatically by the carriage as it moves toward certaincolumnar positions for partially closing the vent, a latch for holdingsaid vent closing means in the position to which it is inoved, andconnections operated by the carriage as it moves to its final positionin the colurni; it is being moved f conditioned automatically as anincident to the movement of the carriage" to predetermined columnarpositions for partially closing said vent.

the carriage in the columnar positions'to which it is moved, saidcushioning means including a dash pot having a vent, means 5. Thecombination in a machine of the I conditioned automatically as anincident to the movement of the carriage to predetermined columnarpositions for partially closing said vent, and connections operated bythe carriage as it moves to its final position in said predeterminedcolumnar position for causing said vent closing means to be returned tonormal.

In testim'onywhereof, I have subscribed my name.

ROBERT L. MULLER.

